Chicken picking at feet

[chickenlady]

Hi, we have a d'uccle chicken who has mysteriously hurt her leg. She is lifting her leg right up when she walks and won't stand on her foot. Her leg feels very hot also, and isn't eating very much- we have taken her to the vet but they said they couldn't do anything as they didnt know what it was (their hypothesis was that she'd damaged her nerve endings but their not entirely sure), nor give her pain killers or we'll have to withdraw her eggs. And to top it all off shes also moulting and is a bit depressed.

We have kept her separate from the others but in view of them so they are still together.

Any recommendations on what to do? Or whether to give her any painkillers such as aspirin? Anyone know what's happened and when she'll be better? Thanks

[Sandychick]

I think keeping her separate is a good idea. This doesn't sound like an injury. It is an odd time of year for a moult and a hen that seems depressed and doesn't eat is almost certainly ill. It does sound like the vet you visited wasn't too helpful, but I imagine they would have found any obvious damage or injury. Personally, I would have gone for the painkillers and ditched the eggs.

 

How long has her leg been like that? I think the main thing is to establish whether it is getting better or worse over time. If it is getting worse, then she will need another trip to the vets (maybe a different one next time!). How old is she? I don't like to suggest it, but it could be something nasty like Mareks disease.

[chickenlady]

Thanks for coming back to me to be honest mine all moult at strange times of the year. There is never a pattern to it in fact Henry is the first one this year !! It's a week ago today that we noticed the leg. At the moment it seems the same she is on the lawn eating the grass and is being treated to lots of lovely tip bits at the moment. The vet said that nerve damage can take weeks to repair (that's if it fixes at all) and if she seems happy in herself and eating and drinking then to just see how she goes. Not sure hope its not Mareks she moves the leg and pulls it right up into her wing to walk and can put it down on the floor to balance. It's just sad don't know if I'm doing the right things

[coco]

Personally I would take her back to the vet and get painkillers, mine have had Metacam as it is anti inflammatory. Do you have somewhere you could seperate her so that she can rest the leg away from the other hens. Have you checked her feet for anything. It doesn't sound like Mareks if she can still use the leg, usually the leg is paralysed and the hen is unable to walk.

[chickenlady]

We have her in the broody cage but with newspaper and sawdust lining the bottom to make it comfy. Each night we lift the cage into the cube so she can be with the others. The vet was reluctant to give me anything and said that because we didn't know who's eggs where who's it would involve egg withdrawal for a few months ! My daughter has been looking on the Internet and there were suggestions about giving asprinin

[Sandychick]

Her leg feels very hot also, and isn't eating very much- And to top it all off shes also moulting and is a bit depressed.

 

At the moment it seems the same she is on the lawn eating the grass and is being treated to lots of lovely tip bits at the moment. The vet said that nerve damage can take weeks to repair (that's if it fixes at all) and if she seems happy in herself and eating and drinking then to just see how she goes

 

I'm confused now! Is she happy and eating etc or not? If she is ok in herself, that is a good thing and could probably just do with resting her leg for a while.

[chickenlady]

Sorry don't mean to confuse she is not eating very much so we are giving her lots of treats to encourage her to eat something. Today she was on the lawn and was eating some clover and grass but not roaming and eating lots like the other girls. The leg does feel warm to touch at the top. She has been confined to rest it bust today we let her out and see how she goes..... We will keep her in the broody cage to rest up again now and see how she goes

[sage]

Hi chickenlady

This sound the same as what has happened to my Suki.

Whit Bank Holiday went out for the day & when we got back Suki was limping (holding her foot out in front of her). I gave her the once over & couldn't see anything wrong but after a few days it wasn’t getting any better. Off to the vets we went. He couldn't find anything wrong so gave her ant inflammatory liquid, and an antibiotic jab, since then she has been broody twice & had a heavy moult. Her foot /leg is still the same I have noticed one of her toe nails has crumbled away it kind of went soft and has gone altogether now.

I have treated for scaly leg mite just on the off chance.

Just last week she started laying again but she is getting badly bullied by one of my other hens and she ended up with a nasty cut to her head. (Bully in now in a cage until she learns to behave)

Not sure if this is of any help

Sage

[jimnpaula]

It's sounding like a leg injury to me and they can get these easily just jumping off things. A prescription of metacam would ease the inflammation (be prepared to have that shaken all over you) and maybe a nice Epsom salt spa bath could help. If you have her in a separate cage already then you know which eggs are hers and you'll only need to dispose of those ones, not the whole lot.

[chickenlady]

Thank you all for your replies. I don't understand why the vet didn't give me anything she was concerned about the egg withdrawal and said it would be for months....is that right ?? So if I call up the vet what do I say can I have some metacam when the woman I say said there was nothing they could do and it would get better on its own cross now if they should have given me something.... she just said to leave it for a few weeks. I mentioned that Paige had read about given asprinin and she said she'd never heard of that

[jimnpaula]

I don't think the metabolisation process has really been studied in laying hens so there are no guidelines for egg withdrawal. So it's up to you if you want to eat them, or ditch them for a week, a month or forever, or feed them back to the hen for a week etc.

Get the vet to prescribe some then at least you can try it. Hopefully they weighed her at the last check and you won't need to take her in again.

Have you ever had to give a chicken meds orally from a syringe? I don't think metacam tastes nice going on the reactions I get from my girls.